Noto 3D: Designing to Capture Emotion Within 18 Pixels
1. Clear emotion over realistic form
The quality of an emoji depends less on how detailed it is than on how quickly it conveys emotion.
- Noto 3D added dimensionality while preserving the familiar impression of each symbol.
- If a kangaroo is rendered anatomically accurately, it can feel more intimidating than friendly.
- Even detailed facial depictions such as iris depth or nostril depth were simplified because they can slow emotional recognition.
2. Reworking the silhouette while making it three-dimensional
The shift to 3D is a process of designing even the parts that were not visible in 2D.
- The poodle had to be implemented with its fourth leg, which had been hidden in 2D.
- The raccoon expanded from a face-centered expression to a full-body expression.
- With the addition of posture, paws, and tail, there were more cues to convey the animal's intent and personality.
3. The final basis is 18 pixels
Details that look appealing at a large size can become visual noise in a small chat screen.
- After experimenting with complex textures and decorations like the unicorn's mane, the design was refined in a direction that preserved familiar forms.
- Each emoji was limited to a maximum of three core details that convey its identity.
4. Finding with automation, supplementing with human judgment
Contrast was checked so that skin tones and expressions would remain clear even in dark mode.
- AI-based tools found areas where the contrast between the background and the edges was insufficient.
- Instead of uniformly brightening skin tones, the designer manually supplemented edge lighting and highlights.
